Carpet-stretcher.



No. 870,670. PATENTED NOV. 12. 1907. I. FRI-JED.

CARPET STRETGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.15, 1901' 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

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I. FREED. CARPET STRETOHER.

APPLIOATIQN FILED APR. 15, 1907.

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ISAAC FREED, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application filed April 15,1907. Serial No. 368.333.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac Fnnnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCarpet- Stretchers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

.My invention is an improved carpet stretcher, and it consists in theconstruction combination and arrangement of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed. I

One object of my invention is to provide an im proved carpet stretcher,which is extremely light, cheap and portable, which may be readilydisposed compactly, so as to take up but little space when not in use,and which when so disposed presents no projecting points to tear theclothing or injure the person of the user. j

A further object is to effect improvements in the means for gripping thecarpet.

A further object is to provide improved means for holding the carpetstretched while tacking the same to the floor.

In the accompanying drawings,1igure 1 is a side elevation of a carpetstretcher embodying my improvements, showing the same engaged with acarpet and employed in stretching the same; Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe same; Fig. 3 'is an elevation showing the holder engaged with thecarpet to hold the same to the floor after the carpet has been stretchedand while the same is being tacked; and Fig. 4 is a similar view showingthe stretcher folded.

In the embodiment of my invention, 1 provide a stretcher block 1, whichis here shown as quadrangular in form. A stretcher bail 2 is pivotallyconnected to opposite sides of the stretcher block near the front endthereof and a lever 3 is fulcrumed at a point a suitable distance fromits lower end to the front portion of the stretcher bail, as at 4. Saidlever 3 is provided with a spur 5 at its lower end for engaging thefloor when the stretcher is in use, and is also here shown as providedwith a ferrule 6 at said end. The front end of the stretcher block isprovided with a reinforcing strip 7 ofiron or other suitable metal. Inconnection with the stretcher block, I provide a clamping jaw 8, whichis made of plate metal of suitable thickness, bent at right angles toprovide the clamping portion 9, which extends down in front of thestretcher block and the web or arm 10, which bears on the upper side ofthe stretcher block and is provided with longitudinal slots 11. A pairof studs 12 which project upwardly from the stretcher block extendthrough the said slots and the said clamping jaw is also adjustablysecured on the stretcher block by a pair of screws 13 in the said slotsand the heads of which bear on the web or arm of said jaw. An operatinglever 14 for the clamping jaw 8 is pivotally mounted on the stretcherblock, as at 15. A lug 16 is pivotally mounted on the arm 10 of theclamping jaw, as at 17. A screw link 18 operating freely in an openingin the said lug, is pivotally connected at its inner end to the lever 14at a point eccentric to the pivot 15 of the said lever, as at 19, and onthe screwthreadcd portion of said link are adjusting nuts 30, 2], whichare disposed on opposite sides of the lug 16. A. stop 22 for the leveris provided on the stretcher block.

The carpet holder 23 comprises a transversely-disposed bar 24, arms 25which extend therefrom and havc their front ends pivotally connected toopposite sides of the stretcher block near the rear end of the latter,as at 26, and spurs 27, which extend downwardly from said bar 2 1. Thesaid holder may be swung under the stretcher block when the device isnot in use, so as to be out of the way, and when thus disposed its spursenter openings in the bottom of the stretcher block. The stretcher bailmay be also folded over the stretcher block and the lever 3 disposedover said block, as shown in Fig. 4, to effect compact disposition ofthe device, which greatly facilitates packing, storing andtransportation thereof, and enables the same to be readily carriedabout, as will be readily understood.

In the operation of my improved carpet stretcher, when stretching acarpet, the holder is turned upwardly, as in Fig. 1, out of the way, andthe clamping jaw 8 having been adjusted according to the thickness ofthe carpet by means of the adjusting nuts on the screw link and thecarpet, at a suitable distance from its edge, having been doubled andplaced between said clamping jaw and the front end of the stretcherhead, the lever 14 is turned rcarwardly so as to cause the link screwand lug to draw the clamping jaw rearwardly and hence firmly clamp thecarpet between said jaw and the front end of the stretcher block. Thelever 14 must be turned rcarwardly until it engages the stop, at whichpoint the pivot 19 which connects the screw link to the lever 14 will beto the left of a line intersecting the centers of the pivots of thelever l-Ct and lug, in other words, said pivot 19 will be slightly pastthe dead center of the lever 14 and hence the tension of the clampingjaw on the carpet will lock the lever 14 in closed position against itsstop and cause the clamping jaw to retain its grip on the carpet. Thespur of the lever 3 will then be engaged with the floor at a point nearthe w'ashboard and said lever will be turned toward the wall to draw thestretcher block toward the washboard and hence stretch the carpet, aswill be understood, and as shown in Fig. 1. W hen the carpet has beensufficiently stretched, the operator will then turn the holder downwhile retaining his hold on the stretcher lever and by placing one footon the holder will force the same down, so that its points l will passthrough the carpet and enter the floor, therei by securing the carpet tothe floor temporarily at a point behind the stretcher head, as shown inFig. 3. The clamping jaw may then be disengaged from the carpet and thelatter tacked, after which the holder will be withdrawn.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is,

1. A carpet stretcher comprising a stretcher head or block. a stretcherlink pivotally connected to said block, a stretcher lever i'ulcrumcd tosaid link, carpet engaging means, and means to operate and lock saidcarpet engaging nie'ans.

2. A carpet stretcher having a stretcher head or block, a clamping jaw,a lever pivotally mounted on the stretcher head, a link having a pivotalconnection with the lever and the clamping jaw, and a stop coacting withthe tension of the Work on the clamping jaw to hold the lever inposition to lock said clamping jaw, substantially as described.

3. A carpet stretcher having a stretcher head or block, a clamping jaw,a lever pivotally mounted on the stretcher head, a link having a pivotalconnection with the lever and the clamping jaw, a stop coacting with thetension of the work on the clamping jaw to hold the lever in position tolock said clamping jaw, and means to initially adjust the clamping jawaccording to the thickness of the carpet to be engaged thereby.

4. A carpet stretcher comprising a stretcher head or block, a holderpivotally connected thereto and adapted to be folded against the same, astretcher link pivotally connected to the stretcher block and adapted tobe folded against the same, a stretcher lever fulcrumed to saidstretcher link, a clamping jaw, and means to operate and lock saidclamping jaw, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ISAAC FREED.

Witnesses C. G. WISLER, H. H. FREEBURN.

